Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing 14e (Hinkle 2017) - Assessment and Management of Patients With Vascular Disorders and Problems of Peripheral Circulation Related

Review Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing 14e (Hinkle 2017) - Assessment and Management of Patients With Vascular Disorders and Problems of Peripheral Circulation related questions and content

The nurse is reviewing the physiological factors that affect a patients cardiovascular health and tissue oxygenation. What is the systemic arteriovenous oxygen difference?

  • A. The average amount of oxygen removed by each organ in the body
  • B. The amount of oxygen removed from the blood by the heart
  • C. The amount of oxygen returning to the lungs via the pulmonary artery
  • D. The amount of oxygen in aortic blood minus the amount of oxygen in the vena caval blood
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The average amount of oxygen removed collectively by all of the body tissues is about 25%. This means that the blood in the vena cava contains about 25% less oxygen than aortic blood. This is known as the systemic arteriovenous oxygen difference. The other answers do not apply.